Captivated by the Captive
by Imladviel
Summary: Clearbrook/Yeyeen/One-Eye. Unlikely match in Blue Mountain...


I'm digging up some older ElfQuest fics and posting them here. Here's your first unlikely pairing. Femslash, if such terms apply to the ElfQuest fandom.

**Captivated by the Captive**

Yeyeen looked at the elves the Chosen Eight had just brought into Blue Mountain. She hadn't had a good look at them while they caught and carried them, but now she saw they were unquestionably elves – maybe a bit short in stature, and one strangely hair-faced like a human and more muscular than she would have thought possible for their kind. Their kind, oh yes. Enemies and barbarians perhaps, but elves.

Winnowill had already taken the killer of Kureel's fledgling to be held in isolation as was appropriate for such a heinous crime. The male had gone silently, and the tears in the violet-eyed female's eyes as Tyldak kept her from following showed they were mates. So were the tiny golden-haired female and the dark-haired male huddling so close together. The hair-faced one's scowl made Yeyeen quicly avert her eyes. When her gaze fell on the red-haired male he actually winked at her. She quickly turned away.

And noticed, for the first time truly noticed, her.

Such graceful features, such silky long hair, white as clouds on a sunny day, white as foam on the Vastdeep Water, white as the star-shaped flowers on the mountainside. And her eyes were the silver of fish scales and brightmetal and willowbark. Oh, she was a beauty.

Winnowill had shown enough of her powers to quell all thoughts of resistance in the captives. Then she had given them to the Eight, to do what they wished with them.

"They must be punished for having eaten the meat of my fledgling, nameless yet, my young one trying his wings! They ate it raw and warm, like the beasts they choose to bond with!" Kureel was raging.

"Kureel, calm down. Hurting them won't bring him back." Aroree, as usual the voice of reason.

"But neither are we going to feed them for nothing! Let them earn their keep! There are a number of tasks I can think of that our people are bored of doing, tasks like cleaning and so on. Let's find work for each of these and keep them busy!" Eresir suggested.

"Wait!"

All eyes turned to Tyldak.  
"I would like to keep this one close to me in my chambers." He pointed at the golden-haired maiden.

Nobody objected as he led the trembling little waif away.

**~Poor girl!~**, Aroree sent to Yeyeen, **~Tyldak can be so harsh sometimes. And you know how intense he is. Too much for a shy one such as that. I wonder if he'll actually force her.~**

But Yeyeen had already forgotten Tyldak and maiden both. She pointed at the white-haired female.

"And I would like to keep this one close to me, serving me and keeping me company. And I would like to ask her – What is your name?"

"Clearbrook." She met Yeyeen's eyes calmly.

"How nice! Because of your hair, is it? Come, I'll take care of you." She took Clearbrook's hand and led her away.

They came to one of the smaller bathing chambers, the one with the fountain shaped like two dancing swans.

"Oh! How beautiful!" Clearbrook gasped.  
"Wait." Yeyeen glided up to the only torch in the room and lit all the candles on the walls and floor.  
"The light makes it even lovelier, don't you think? Now, I asked to have you because I am curious about you and your people. What do you call yourselves?"  
"The Wolfriders."  
"So, you actually ride the animals I saw with you. Did you have one too?"  
"Yes. His name is Whitebrow."  
"Do you miss him?"  
"Yes." The word was a sigh.  
"My hawk is called Silverwing. I would grieve if something happened to her. Kureel grieves because he loved the bird your archer killed. Not that he would admit it. And as it often is with such serious people, his grief becomes anger."  
Clearbrook nodded.

"Why did you choose me?" She asked.  
"Because I like your looks, and the wisdom in your eyes. You are as calm as the oldest of my people, and yet I see joy bubbling beneath your surface. And I like your hair. My lovemate used to have hair like yours, but just a while back she cut it short without even asking me. She said it was to mourn a tree. I suppose I should be understanding - she spent ages nurturing that tree, shaping it, making the rockshapers shift the clearstone vein in the cave ceiling to follow the seasons so the tree would always have the best of light. She's a treeshaper and her life is making things grow in what small gardens we have. The small plants and bushes do fine, the mushrooms thrive, but trees never last long. This one lasted only half a century."  
"That is not long – for a tree. But for a treeshaper it may be."  
"Do you have treeshapers?"  
"We – used to. We lived in dens shaped in trees once, but that place is no more."  
"I see you have many tales to tell."  
"Maybe. But I have never heard of rockshapers. They shape rock like treeshapers shape plants? Did they make this place?"

Yeyeen talked about Blue Mountain for a while. Then she grew distracted.

"Would you let me braid your hair? I mean differently as it is now? I have an idea or two."  
"Well, I am your servant, am I not? And you can do whatever you like with me." Clearbrook remarked sarcastically.  
"But don't you see? I don't want a servant. I want a friend."  
"Is that so? You haven't even told me your name."  
"Oh, I'm sorry – I forgot. I am Yeyeen." She attempted a smile.  
"Yeyeen."  
"Well, can I braid your hair?"  
"I – that is, usually my – I mean, my hair is very special to me. I like it the way it is."  
"I like it the way it is too. I love it. If you don't like the result I'll braid it back the way it was."  
"Well, all right then. Just the way it was, with the same cord and all."  
"I promise."

*****

Clearbrook was admiring her new hairstyle in a mirror, when Yeyeen felt Winnowill's call.  
**~Yeyeen? Where are you?~**  
**~Here.~**  
**~Is the savage called Clearbrook with you?~**  
**~She is.~**  
**~Good. Wait there, and make yourself presentable. I'll be there soon.~**  
The tone of the words revealed what Winnowill believed Yeyeen to have chosen Clearbrook for. Well did she know exactly how desirable Yeyeen found females with long hair. Yeyeen was certain Winnowill let her own hair hang to the floor and get dusty just to tease Yeyeen.

"Clearbrook? Winnowill says she's coming here, I don't know why. I hope it's not bad news."

*****

"Your name is Clearbrook." It was not a question.  
"Your lifemate tried to send to you. Do not answer him again, if you value your life and his. Believe me, I will know of it."

With that, Winnowill turned and left the room, her hair sweeping the floor after her. Yeyeen winced inwardly.

*****  
"So. You have a lifemate, and he escaped our notice earlier. And you thought to keep him a secret. Well, I can't fault you for protecting him, I suppose. But now that I do know he exists, would you like to tell me about him?"  
Clearbrook paused.  
"Well, first of all, he loves to braid my hair. His name is One-Eye. We have been lifemates for a long time. I miss him."  
"I feel sorry for you, I really do. I wish I could help you."  
Yeyeen hugged Clearbrook gently from behind.  
"Tell me, do you share?"

*****

The question shocked Clearbrook. She had though of the glider as a possible friend or perhaps even an ally, and at least a valuable source for information in the situation the tribe was in. She had tried to hide her worry for Strongbow and Dewshine, to show a friendly face so she might win Yeyeen to her side. The High Ones knew they needed all the friends they could get, now.

Obviously, the glider saw her differently.

They hadn't shared often, One-Eye and she. With Treestump, yes, when he was recovering from Rillfisher's death – they had even treed with him for a while. But that had been a favour for and old friend.

Oh, and then there was that one other time, more recently. The season of new green after Madcoil. Some of the wolfriders had been bathing in the stream which was still winter-chilly. Dewshine and Scouter had just chased each other about madly in the water and run giggling into their den. Pike had laughed:  
"That time of the year again, eh?."  
One-Eye had bent down from braiding Clearbrook's hair and kissed her neck.  
"For old wolves and young both, it seems ." Skywise remarked. Clearbrook had been conscious of him staring at her for a while, but the cub was often staring at the females like that when they bathed. Now his voice had gone all soft and serious, however.  
"Tell me, do you share?"  
Before either of them could reply, Cutter had pushed him savagely underwater.  
"Show some respect for your elders!"  
Soon the young chief lost his balance as Skywise surfaced, pushing him down.  
"You're a fine one to talk! I'm older than you, remember."  
"And I'm your chief!"

Soon they had been wrestling in the water like the cubs they were. But something had changed. They didn't shout silly insults at each other, they had lock-sent. And soon Cutter had given up the fight, looking startled.  
"Oh. All right, but remember, I won't help you out of the mess you'll soon be finding yourself in."

And Cutter had climbed to the opposite shore and sat back to watch with Pike, Moonshade, Strongbow and Treestump. Skywise waded back towards Clearbrook and One-Eye.  
"Well, what is your answer, oh wise elders? Do you share?"  
One-eye spoke for both of them:  
"Not without a good reason, cub."  
"I'd like to learn from you. I'm sure there are many things you could teach me. And I would like to teach you something, too. I am not a cub. And I can prove it."  
"Oh, a challenge, is it?" One-Eye asked, smiling.  
"Indeed. A serious one. You don't have to give me your answer yet."

So they had thought about it, and talked. And they had accepted the challenge, and indeed ceased to think of Skywise as a cub. It had been fun, and refreshing, but also disturbing, and they had not repeated the invitation. One-Eye would have liked to, but Clearbrook disagreed.

*****

"You're blushing. Nice memories?" Yeyeen's words brought Clearbrook back to the Now.  
"We have shared, but always together. I can think of no pleasure without him. We are lifemates."  
"Very well. So be it."  
And Yeyeen led Clearbrook back to the more open spaces, and they talked, and she was introduced to many other gliders and shown their crafts and skills, even the humble garden with a dead tree, a sapling barely, in the middle. The treeshaper she did not meet, though.

*****

But much later, when Voll had invited the Wolfriders to stay as guests, Yeyeen came to meet One-Eye and Clearbrook with her helmet off and her own pale brown hair tied in a single sleek braid.

"Well? What is your answer now?"  
"One-Eye, this is Yeyeen, the one I told you about. What do you think?"  
One-Eye looked her up and down.  
"Yes. We'll share with you."  
**~I knew you'd understand, Sur.~**

*****  
It was a good sharing, the best they ever had. Yeyeen was wild and hungry and eager to please, One-Eye was still full of burning desire after having been parted from his lifemate, he had more than enough passion to share now, and Clearbrook shook her hair open, lay back and enjoyed being the center of their attention, and then gave back as good as she got.

Touch and kiss and embrace. Joining. On the furs and in the air, and in the water of the candlelit chamber.

They thought they would be friends for ever. They thought they would do it again the following night.

*****

But Yeyeen belonged to Winnowill, and betrayed her new friends. Clearbrook thought she would never forgive her.

And then, after One-Eye was lost, Clearbrook returned to Blue Mountain with Cutter, Scouter, and the two humans, to get Windkin back.

And the Mountain fell, and the warrior she had become learned a lesson, looking into Two-Edge's eyes.

Forgiveness.

Yeyeen's spirit touched her before going to Rayek, and the touch was a caress. Without words, she shared her friend's sorrow.

It was easy, after that, to decide she would take Rayek to the Palace. One-Eye was reason enough, but she wanted to help her friend home.  
_  
__Yeyeen…_


End file.
